Days after seemingly calling out the 'Hotline Bling' rapper for never touching on black issues, the radio personality stresses that his statements were taken 'out of context.'
- Jul 19, 2023
AceShowbiz - Ebro Darden has denied calling out Drake. Having made headlines for pointing out that the "Hotline Bling" hitmaker had never spoken up about black issues, the radio personality set the record straight and explained his intention in bringing up the discussion.
Clearing the air through a tweet on Monday, July 17, the 48-year-old radio host declared, "This is out of context." He continued responding to a tweet about him calling out the 36-year-old rapper for "never saying anything about black issues," by noting, "Drake doesn't have to. Nor should he if he doesn't feel it."
In the same tweet, Ebro went on to explain, "But to say 'This is America' is overrated and over awarded when that song came at a time when people needed someone to say something. And he doesn't feel the need to. That's all."
Ebro's tweet led others to share their two cents on the matter. In the replies section, one defended Ebro by writing, "No Ebro don't backpedal. You were absolutely right in what you said. Drake benefits greatly from the community and has never once said s**t about the injustice. And yes when you benefit from something to that extent, the least he can do is speak up about it."
Another, however, did not share similar sentiment and stated, "Y'all have spent his whole career telling him he doesn't belong, he's not street, he's not 'black BLACK', he doesn't represent the culture, and that he's not even from here. So why would or should he speak up about issues? Just to be told to stay in his place? That's unfair."
Ebro's clarification came a few days after he brought up the issue in a July 12 episode of Apple Music's "Rap Life Review". During a discussion with Nadeska Alexis and Lowkey, he said, "Drake, who has never shown up, and y'all know I'm the biggest Drake fan on this show. Drake has never shown up to have anything to say about anything going on in society with black folks or anything other than himself."
Ebro further stated, "So now you have an issue - I get you have an issue with Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) if what you're saying is face - but fam, the song was supposed to be a joke diss, it didn't actually happen. So why you in your feelings about it and taking shots at a song?"
Responding to Ebro's statement, his co-host, Nadeska, then stated, "Drake has never stepped his foot in those waters, and he may or may not ever." In response, Ebro replied, "By the way, at this point, we were not expecting him to."
